Steering device for automobiles.



f D. H. BUCKLEY. STEERING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPKITICATIGN FILED OCT` 2, I9I4.

1&399453 v Patented' May u, i915.

I Hoff/mg,

UNTED STATE@ PATIENT DUER H. BUCKLIEY,` OF VENNA, OHIO, ASSGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 JOHN E. SELRLES, CF CHCAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEERING DEVICE FOR .UTOlVl'IBILESA momma Specification of Letters Patent.

Applicaon filed Gotober 2, 1914. Serial No. 864,635.

'ing Devices for ulomohiles. of which the :following iS a speciilieation.

lli'iui'vutiou volatils to improveiiieus in slwfiiugi (levicou l'oi automobiles aud has foi' ils olijwls: iisl. lo provide automatic meehaiiism loi' holding-ille liront wheels normally iu limx with the holly ul' the vehicle; second, to overcome he touilviii'y of the front wheels :nul axle lo 5WG1-vo to one side oi' he other aiul dilch the oar in the event of loss of' control by o1' accident lo the chauffeur; third, to provide automatic means for keeping an automobile in the mail where curves thereof a'se not abnormally Short, and fourth to render the steering; of au automobile easier for ille Chauffeur, giving; him more use of his hands and at he same time to afford a yielding semi-Control which. lhough strong and iu a measure stiff. shall not operaie :la a iiliil locking device oii-equii'e iiumipula tion to overcome itis normal opeiation.

l attain those objecte hy the mechanism illusti'atml in the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a plan, View of the right haml iiioiti wheel of an automobile with my at tachmeut Secured to the steering i'ofls. Fig. .3 is i i'eai 'vieu' oi' the same. Fig. ZS is a perspective View ol my de.'ice detached. Figi. el is a plan View of the ifieviee partly in. section. Fig. is a sectional vieu' on liucof Fig. i'. l1" ig. G is a peispective View with the mechanism s-moved from the housing. 7 is :i vertical section with harias in full lines. Fig. 8 is a plan View el. the plate 22 of Figs. and 77 and an elevation thereof.

Similar characters ree lo like parte throughout the several views.

l hay@ illustrated enlyenef-wheel, i, part of the front axle 2 and a parl; of the steering rod, 3, (broken away), of1 an a utomohile, for those skilled in the art know the relative construction of axles and 'chassis and tha ich@ steering 'od extends he from of the om* ordinarily to fhe i'eai of he from axle il and is pivotally afaehed ille-.reto at both ends as by pivots. 4 ami and leve? arms 6.; at eithe end, one only being shown,

"L'igulai'ilriei-i iii, the mail). 'i

ltrailing' ilu'ougfl'i a plate which ,so that the operation of one end of ehe SteelL ing :foil 2B by (he iiiauipulalion of he Steering wheel (not shown) by the chauffeur, ell'ects like changes o'lfiliiection o f he two ioi'uai'cl wheels.

lefei'ifiiig lo Fig. lf provide Y having a rigid ann l@ attached marie a pai" thereof and of such a housing i eher-elo or shape am?.

ioim :is o position lie homing fil;- a o; eiahli loin-:tion relative lo folie of the whiiie as, l type of automobile feiluii'e. l have shown the arm l0 as eieiil lug: horizonlallj" ifoiwaid uml thence el', righi angle upward .so hat a hol@ plaie il Sealed uiulei' ai'm l5 :nul clamjie lihei'eo hjv a c-L 1i'o 1ioi1i'li1iglj upper hollbpla'te "i2, {Fig Ll. will locale he housing 7 dii'eely under the pivot i.

i-eiiioi'ahle top ai' (zap. 1.4i-, aiul (l) is pim'ilecl for alie housing 'l' it'. is attached au arm {piefeiai y piu-oi; ally as hy pivot l5 in owl/ei' lo allow il'oi' ee veuti'ic iuoi'eiueiils of the iol 3. flue iiirshuuii a eupiioi'iiiig arm .i6 iorlihg on a a siuiilai' holt plato if' which when used Wiii holt plate 1S. (liigj. clasps he ro-:l E and iu itsI noi-mal posiou holds the ami para@ lvl to lie axle .2 :ii'ui 1l).

ifi i'i\pif.= ;eu.s an oil @up .imi Seiw'ee i o keep .luu mul ilii' ou ol ih@ lujmsiugf ..1 :nul may he lhi'eailuil onto :i hollow j'ieliou Zij), The iiioievliou lil also Servei; a seat for a peg, il. (lge. il aiufi 7) pifof u multi he a circular disk hu tha, eut oui: a segment, :23. 5o as to leave a shoulflei io loch. against one side of an iuieiioi' luff 2, wl'iicli extends vertically from he lop lo' he hoh tom' of the interior Wall of the housing 7 of which Ail: is cas as a part and which. eei'vee to limi the i'oative movemen oi the .le 2v2, :it ite lower end, by ahutmeni, against the shoulder, 24, when the roaion would he in one (liz-eolien; andA said lug 25, al; its top, limits the rotation, in the opposite iieetiozi, of the plate 22 by abutment of the Shoulei 2li. mafie by @utiiugrouli me segmeii 23. saiil plate Q2', which-iu praeiviee, bhough illustrated as a sepuiaie pieceii ligg. for elaii'y, east as a uur@ of the sag ilof loe housing 7; and mailto he peg 'as a solid extension 1thereof, fig-iii 5.o h 1 and al; right auf-les io -.he

The ends, of a `tively in a pair of the hold the spring in locked relation both to the revolving housing cap 14 at the springs -top and to the loose plate 22 seated in the housing 'I near its peg 21. y

As the shoulder 24 is on one side of the lug 25 and looks-against the lug 25 of the housing which co-acts with the arm l0, and as the shoulderl24l looks against the other side of the lug 25 and co-acts With the cap 14 and the arm 8, it is easy to understand that the normal tendencyof the stili spring bottom and rotative about y 28.will beto hold the armsl() and .8 at

stones or ruts, or in case the chauffeur rc-v jleases-the steering wheel.

Avand-i2? referred to and right angles to each other and lreepl the front wheels of the automobile directed forwardly and in longitudinal line' with its body and in the road, if reasonably straight, throwing them back instantly to that position if they are joltedv to one side or the other as by Merely to 'provide means for increasing or ecreasi'ng the operative strengthV of the spring 28 provide the additional holes 26 provide a corresponding plurality of lugs v.29, 29 on the plate 22 and 30, 30 on the plate 22', between which the respective bent ends of the spring 28 can be passed, into and through the cor 26 (Fig. 6) and cor-V responding holes 26, 26 and 27, 27 as occasion may require, said lugs being `for no other purpose and because, ordinarily, the spring'28, having been once adjusted and positioned it does not become necessary to change it.

I claim:

1.,In a device of the kind described, a housing adapted for attachment to oneI arm of a steering rod for vehicles: a rotatable not absolutely necessarycap for said housing .having an arm -adapted for attachment to the other arm of said rod at a right angle to said lirst arm, and spring actuated restraining mechanism in said housing. 1

2. ln combination with a steering# rod for automobiles comprisin a horizontal rod (3) parallel to. the axle (2l)r of the machine, and pivoted longitudinal arms (6) at its extrem-v ities, a housing (7) having a rigid arm (10) clamped to one of said longitudinal arms and having a loose capv (14) pivotally attached to said horizontal rod by a movable arm '(8), a centrally disposed peg (2l) attaohedl to said cap and rotatively journaled inlaid housing: a spiral spring surrounding sai one end of said means for attaching the other end of said spring thereto, and means for limiting the rotative movement of said housing and said plate therein, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature 1n presence of two Witnesses.

*Witnesse F. W. Senne, l

peg: adjustable means for attaching spring to said cap: a loose plate (22) pierced by said` peg: adjustable.

` DUER H. BUCKLEY; 

